Sun Sentinel Op-ed: We Must Protect Medicaid for Patients Battling Cancer

The following op-ed appears in the May 27 edition of the Sun Sentinel.

As the founder of Susan G. Komen and now the Promise Fund, I’ve spent most of my life advocating for people fighting cancer. I’ve sat with women facing the most frightening diagnosis of their lives. I’ve held hands in waiting rooms, heard the confusion in their voices, and witnessed firsthand how access to timely, affordable care can mean the difference between life and death.

I also speak from personal experience. I am a cancer survivor. I know what it feels like to face the uncertainty of a diagnosis and the urgency of getting the right care, at the right time. I was fortunate to have access to the resources and medical care I needed, but far too many Americans do not.

That’s why I urge Congress to tread carefully as it considers reforms to Medicaid. For millions of Americans – including cancer patients – Medicaid is not a partisan issue. It’s a lifeline.

According to the American Cancer Society, in 2023, 10% of adults in the U.S. with a history of cancer relied on Medicaid for their health care. Over one-third of children newly diagnosed with cancer were enrolled in Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). These programs provide critical access to screenings, diagnostics, treatment, and survivorship care. Without them, too many will fall through the cracks, especially those already facing chronic illnesses like cancer.

Through the Promise Fund, we’ve worked on the front lines of this issue. We connect underserved women, most often uninsured or underinsured, to life-saving cancer screenings, diagnostics, and care coordination. In South Florida alone, we’ve helped nearly 70,000 women access care they would otherwise go without. The stories are as heartbreaking as they are inspiring: mothers delaying care because of cost, women traveling hours to find providers who accept Medicaid, and patients navigating the bureaucracy while in the middle of treatment. These are the people Republicans and Democrats in Congress must keep in mind.

We know from extensive research that Medicaid expansion has saved lives. It increases early-stage cancer diagnoses, improves survival rates, and reduces racial and geographic disparities in care. A recent study showed that Medicaid expansion led to higher survival from cancer at two years post-diagnosis, particularly among non-Hispanic Black patients in rural areas.

That’s why proposals to cap Medicaid spending or slash the federal match rate (FMAP) are so alarming. Today, the federal government covers between 50% and 77% of Medicaid costs, with an even higher share for expansion populations. If FMAP is reduced, states will face massive shortfalls. One analysis found that just 10 states and D.C. would need to come up with $43 billion to maintain current programs. The likely outcome? Cuts to essential benefits, including prescription drugs and community-based services.

At the same time, Congress is weighing another significant policy change with far-reaching consequences: a proposal to implement a tiered tax structure on private foundations that would raise taxes on investment income—up to 10% for the largest organizations. This reform, though perhaps well-intentioned, would directly reduce the funds available for grantmaking to communities across the country. The Promise Fund has benefited enormously from philanthropic giving, which fuels our ability to connect women with critical cancer care. Congress should tread carefully as it considers philanthropy’s freedom to give, especially when the outcome could affect the health and well-being of millions of Americans.

As someone who has spent decades in public health advocacy, I understand the difficult budget choices facing lawmakers. But I also believe there are moments when we must put politics aside to preserve the health and dignity of our fellow citizens. Reform doesn’t have to mean retreat. Congress can and should find bipartisan ways to strengthen Medicaid, modernize the system, and root out inefficiencies without sacrificing access.

I made a promise to my sister, Susan, that I would do everything in my power to end the shame, fear, and injustice surrounding cancer. That promise has led me to build organizations, walk hospital corridors, lobby Congress and speak up when the stakes are highest.

Today, those stakes are once again clear. Congress must act not with partisanship, but with compassion. For cancer patients across this country, Medicaid is more than a program, it’s a promise. Let’s keep it.